Stephon Clark Legacy Weekend begins with a trauma focused workshop

Weekend will include a mother’s brunch and remembrance at the Capitol

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Stephon Clark Legacy Weekend begins with a trauma focused workshop

Attendees for the summit stand in line for a free meal courtesy of The Rose Family Creative Empowerment Center during the Stephon Clark Legacy Weekend in Meadowview Friday. They work to aid vulnerable youth throughout the Sacramento area and worked with the Clark family to organize the summit.

Attendees for the summit stand in line for a free meal courtesy of The Rose Family Creative Empowerment Center during the Stephon Clark Legacy Weekend in Meadowview Friday. They work to aid vulnerable youth throughout the Sacramento area and worked with the Clark family to organize the summit.

Attendees for the summit stand in line for a free meal courtesy of The Rose Family Creative Empowerment Center during the Stephon Clark Legacy Weekend in Meadowview Friday. They work to aid vulnerable youth throughout the Sacramento area and worked with the Clark family to organize the summit.

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The Stephon Clark Legacy Weekend kicked off with a teen summit and community healing conversation, including speeches, breathing exercises and meditation, in the Meadowview community Friday.

The weekend consists of four days of events, including a mother’s brunch on Saturday, a Day of Peace and Love on Sunday and a Stephon Clark Remembrance Commemoration at the Capitol on Monday — the one year anniversary of Clark’s death.

The summit was held at the Sam and Bonnie Pannell Community Center from 6-9 p.m. and included a motivational presentation from Marianna Sousa, a local community educator.

Erica Amaya attended the event with the Sacramento Youth Alliance Community Action Team. According to its website, the team is a nonprofit that works with vulnerable youth in Sacramento.

“What I really wanted to get out of the event is really to hear the power of the youth,” Amaya, who grew up in Sacramento, said. “What they want to see within our community, what they want done in our community.”

Jordan Silva-Benham – The State HornetStevante Clark watches the workshop with two members of the Guardian Angels, a worldwide organization that works to establish safety patrols within communities. The Stephon Clark Legacy Weekend kicked off with a teen summit and community healing conversation, including speeches, breathing exercises and meditation, in the Meadowview community Friday.

Stevante Clark, Clark’s older brother, said the event was planned after Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert announced March 2 the decision not to press charges against the officers who shot Stephon Clark.

“I wouldn’t say it was last minute,” Stevante said. “Because on March 18, I was gonna have a justice rally at the city council, so me and my family came together on the way to figure out how we could incorporate the entire community.”

Stevante started planning the event directly after Schubert’s announcement and said it has taken a toll on his emotional health.

“I wanted to focus on trauma and healing, because I don’t think we focus enough on that. We focus on justice and accountability, but we don’t really focus on the inner self,” Stevante said.

Sousa spoke directly to the issue of trauma.

“When we get hurt physically, we immediately call 911 and we get immediate care,” Sousa said. “Sometimes we go through trauma that affects us on the inside and there’s no [help], especially in black and brown communities.”

Not having help, she said, has negative consequences on a person’s physical and emotional health. She encouraged attendees to take care of themselves.

“To heal thyself, I must be my healthy self,” Sousa said.

Story continues below photo.

Jordan Silva-Benham – The State HornetMarianna Sousa speaks during an interactive workshop about the importance of healing from trauma during the Stephon Clark Legacy Weekend Friday in Meadowview. Sousa is a local multimedia journalist and speaker.

Sousa ended her speech with a group breathing exercise and meditation which was followed by a free meal offered by the Rose Family Creative Empowerment Center to all attendees, before the event ended for the night.

“I’m glad the way it turned out,” Stevante said. “I think there’s a lot more outreach that needs to go into the community. I mean, it was a good sized crowd, but I think we can do a lot better.”